Yes, it may be possible to get a mortgage while working on a zero-hours contract.
Although your employment contract may not guarantee a minimum number of hours, some lenders can still consider the income where your actual working pattern and earnings have been sufficiently stable.
The lender is unlikely to assess the application solely from the words “zero-hours contract”. It may instead look at how long you have worked this way, whether your income is regular, whether the work is likely to continue and how your recent earnings compare with the longer-term average.
One lender may average income over the previous 12 months. Another may require a longer history or accept the income only where it is secondary to a larger, more secure income. A further lender may be comfortable with recent payslips where the applicant has a clear and established occupational history.
There is therefore no single calculation or minimum-history rule that applies throughout the mortgage market.
FG & Cook's specialist mortgage advisers can review your contract, payslips, employment history and bank statements before identifying lenders whose current criteria fit your circumstances.
What is a zero-hours contract?
A zero-hours contract is an arrangement under which the employer does not guarantee a fixed minimum number of working hours. The employee may be offered work when it becomes available, while the number of hours can change from week to week or month to month.
Someone on a zero-hours contract may still be paid through PAYE, receive payslips, have tax and National Insurance deducted, accrue holiday entitlement and work consistently for the same employer.
The difficulty for a mortgage lender is not necessarily the employment status itself. It is the absence of guaranteed future hours.
A person may have earned £35,000 consistently for several years despite having no contractual minimum. Another applicant may have earned £35,000 during one unusually busy period but have no reliable pattern before or after it. Those two applications may look very different to an underwriter.
Can lenders use zero-hours income for a mortgage?
Some can.
Current lender policies differ. Some lenders may accept zero-hours income as the applicant's principal earnings where there is a stable history. Others will use it only as secondary income alongside a higher employed, self-employed or pension income.
This is a lender-specific distinction rather than a universal market rule. The appropriate lender depends on both the employment pattern and the role that the income plays in the wider application.
Suffolk Building Society's consumer guidance explains the central difficulty: future hours are not guaranteed, but this does not mean a zero-hours worker is automatically excluded from borrowing.
How might a lender calculate zero-hours income?
There is no single calculation.
A lender may average gross income from an accepted period of payslips, P60s or bank statements. For example, if six months of gross earnings total £17,000, a lender willing to annualise that period might calculate a baseline income proxy of £34,000 (£17,000 ÷ 6 × 12).
That figure is an underwriting input only. It is not a guaranteed borrowing amount or an entitlement to a fixed income multiple.
Another lender may insist on a full 12-month history and use the amount actually earned during that year. A lender may also use the lower of the latest annual figure, a longer-term average, the current earning pattern or the amount shown on the latest P60.
West Brom's published lending guidance provides one lender-specific example of a 12-month employment-history and averaging approach. That does not mean every lender uses the same period or calculation.
Is annualised income the same as the amount you can borrow?
No.
The accepted income is only one input into affordability. Annualised income of £34,000 does not automatically mean the applicant can borrow £153,000 by applying a standard 4.5-times multiple.
Loans, car finance, credit-card balances, childcare, maintenance, dependants, student-loan deductions, the mortgage term, interest-rate stress testing, deposit size and credit history can all affect the final result.
A mortgage calculator can provide an illustration, but it cannot guarantee what a lender will offer.
How much work history might a lender require?
This varies considerably.
Some lenders may want around 12 months of employment and income evidence. Others may require a longer history, particularly where earnings fluctuate significantly or the applicant has changed employer.
Historic Suffolk Building Society material published before 2026 described an 18-month working-history requirement for its zero-hours approach at that time. That older policy should not be treated as confirmation of its current criteria; it simply demonstrates why applicants should not assume that all lenders use the same minimum period.
The lender may also consider total time in the occupation, time with the current employer, seasonal work, employment gaps, recent income trends and whether the applicant previously performed the same role under a permanent contract.
What if your hours change every week?
Variation does not automatically prevent acceptance.
An applicant who normally works between 30 and 38 hours each week may have a more dependable pattern than someone whose hours move between five and 50. The underwriter may review the longer-term average, the lowest recent income, seasonal peaks, quieter periods and whether hours are currently falling.
A particularly strong month should not be presented as though it represents the normal year. Equally, one quieter month does not necessarily invalidate an otherwise stable record where there is a reasonable explanation.
Does it matter whether zero-hours work is your main income?
Yes, because lender policies differ.
Some lenders can consider qualifying zero-hours earnings as principal income. Others accept them only as secondary earnings alongside a higher, more secure income.
For a joint application, one applicant's permanent salary might form the main income while the other applicant's zero-hours earnings are added as secondary income. Another lender may use the zero-hours income as the main earnings where the history satisfies its criteria.
This is why an application should not be submitted solely to the lender offering the lowest advertised rate.
What if you have more than one zero-hours job?
Some lenders may consider more than one job where both are established and sustainable.
The lender will want to understand how long each role has been held, whether the hours overlap, whether the combined workload is realistic, whether both incomes appear on bank statements and whether either role has recently ended.
Someone working regular care shifts for two established providers may have a credible combined history. By contrast, a second role taken only a few weeks before the application may not be accepted immediately.
What if you have recently changed employer?
A recent change does not always prevent a mortgage, but it may make the history harder to evidence.
The lender may be more comfortable where the applicant remains in the same occupation and moves directly between employers. A care worker changing providers, an NHS bank worker moving trusts or a hospitality employee moving hotels may retain a clear occupational history even though the employer has changed.
A transition from a permanent PAYE role into a zero-hours role within the same business may also be considered in context. The lender will usually want to know why the contract changed, whether the actual hours remained stable and whether the move is expected to continue.
A complete change of occupation, a gap in employment and a new zero-hours arrangement at the same time may receive more scrutiny.
What if you work through an agency?
Agency work and zero-hours employment can overlap, but they are not always treated identically.
The lender may examine who employs and pays the applicant, whether PAYE deductions are made, how long the agency relationship has existed, whether assignments are continuous and whether the work is temporary, casual or fixed term.
Being paid weekly by an agency does not automatically make somebody self-employed. The payslip, tax deductions and contractual arrangement need to be checked.
Applicants with day-rate or contractor income may also find our guide to contractor mortgage day-rate calculations useful.
How are holiday pay, overtime and bonuses treated?
The basic zero-hours earnings are commonly variable already, so additional payments require careful interpretation.
Holiday pay may be paid while annual leave is taken, rolled into the hourly rate, shown on a separate line or released after being accrued. The lender needs to avoid counting the same entitlement twice.
Overtime or enhanced shift rates may be accepted where they form a regular part of the income history. One-off bonuses, exceptional overtime, arrears or temporary enhancements may be excluded or averaged cautiously.
The payslips should be read rather than simply totalled. A high month caused by holiday pay or a one-off adjustment may not represent normal recurring earnings.
What documents might the lender request?
The evidence requirements vary, but an applicant may need recent payslips, a P60, personal bank statements, an employment contract, an employer's reference, evidence of the start date, a longer payslip history, confirmation of typical hours and an explanation of gaps or reduced income.
Where the hours fluctuate substantially, the lender may request more evidence than it would for a fixed-salary employee.
The payslips should match the salary credits in the bank account. Unexplained cash payments, missing deposits or income paid through several accounts can make the application more difficult to assess.
What if you do not have a written contract?
This can create an evidential problem.
The lender may still be able to establish the employment relationship from payslips, P60s, bank statements and an employer's reference, but requirements differ.
The applicant should not describe informal work as permanent guaranteed employment where no such guarantee exists. The lender needs an accurate account of who the employer is, how the applicant is paid, whether PAYE applies, how long the work has continued and whether future work remains available.
A missing contract does not automatically make the income unusable, but it may narrow lender choice.
What could reduce the income a lender accepts?
The lender may use a lower figure or reject part of the income where recent earnings have fallen, the history is too short, work is highly seasonal, there are prolonged gaps, the applicant recently changed occupation or the latest payslips are unusually high.
A newly established second job, one-off arrears, bonuses, an unsustainable combined workload or an employer that has stopped offering regular shifts may also reduce the accepted figure.
A longer historic average may not be used where the most recent trend suggests that earlier income is no longer representative.
Can regular hours help even if the contract guarantees none?
Yes.
An underwriter may distinguish between the contractual minimum and the actual working history. A contract may guarantee no hours, but the applicant could have worked approximately 35 hours each week for two years.
That record can help demonstrate that the income is established, although it does not turn the contract into guaranteed employment.
An employer's confirmation of the typical pattern may support the application, but the lender will usually compare it with payslips and bank statements. The assessment must be based on what has actually been earned, not merely what may be available in future.
Do you need a larger deposit?
Not automatically.
Some lenders that accept zero-hours income offer ordinary residential mortgage products under their normal loan-to-value, credit and affordability rules.
A larger deposit may reduce the mortgage required and improve affordability, but it does not replace the need for a suitable income history.
The words “zero-hours contract” do not automatically mean a specialist interest rate.
Can first-time buyers use zero-hours income?
Potentially, yes.
First-time buyers are assessed under the same broad affordability and income-sustainability principles. The lender will still examine employment history, deposit, credit commitments, household spending and the property.
A first-time buyer should avoid agreeing a purchase price based solely on the highest recent payslip or a generic online multiple.
First-time buyers can review FG & Cook's first-time buyer mortgage service for more information about the wider process.
What happens if your hours fall during the mortgage application?
Tell the broker and lender promptly.
A material reduction in hours or income before completion could require the lender to reassess affordability. This includes losing regular shifts, moving to a lower hourly rate, changing employer, losing a second job, taking extended unpaid leave or being told that the role may end.
An agreement in principle or mortgage offer is not an unconditional guarantee.
Failing to disclose a material change could affect the accuracy of the application and may result in the offer being amended or withdrawn.
Should you wait before applying?
Sometimes waiting can strengthen the application, but it is not always necessary.
Waiting may help where employment has only just started, the latest income is unusually high, a second job has not built a track record, recent hours have fallen or important evidence is not yet available.
Waiting may add little where the applicant already has a stable record, regular banked earnings and access to a lender that accepts the circumstances.
The decision should be based on actual lender criteria rather than a blanket assumption that zero-hours workers cannot obtain mortgages.
Common mistakes we frequently see
One common mistake is using the highest recent month as though it represents guaranteed annual income.
Another is assuming that three payslips will satisfy every lender even where the longer earnings history is unclear.
Applicants also sometimes combine income from several new jobs without demonstrating that the workload is sustainable, or fail to explain seasonal reductions and temporary gaps.
Perhaps the biggest mistake is applying to a lender that will not accept zero-hours income as the main earnings when another lender may assess the same history differently.
How can FG & Cook help?
A zero-hours contract mortgage application is usually determined by the quality of the income history and the lender's method of assessing it.
FG & Cook's specialist lending advisers can review the employment contract, length of employment, payslips, P60 income, banked salary payments, average hours, seasonal variations, additional jobs, employment gaps, deposit, credit position and current lender criteria.
The aim is to use an income figure that is properly evidenced and sustainable rather than simply selecting the highest total appearing on a payslip.
Our wider mortgage services explain the other types of borrowing we arrange, and you can contact FG & Cook before making an offer or submitting an application.
FG & Cook Financial Services Limited is an Appointed Representative of OSL Financial Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under Firm Reference Number 948512.
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This article is intended for general information only and does not constitute personalised mortgage, employment, tax or legal advice. Lender criteria and individual underwriting decisions vary.